


you got a fast car (I want a ticket to anywhere)

by bckwrds101



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And Cheryl's also not in her best state of mind...?, Cheryl is really really lost, F/F, Set after 1x13, She doesn't even live in Riverdale, TW for mentions of Cheryl's Sweetwater River incident, There's smut...kinda, Toni's not a southsider, anyways I'm bad at tagging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-23 13:11:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20008840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bckwrds101/pseuds/bckwrds101
Summary: Toni Topaz has seen a lot of weird stuff during her eighteen years of life, five of them working at her grandfather’s 24h convenience store. Like a whole freaking lot. So when a ‘too skinny to be deemed healthy’ redhead does nothing but limp through the doors of the place at four in the morning, she hardly bats an eyelash. Well, she’s seen a lot.-set after 1x13-*REPOST*





	you got a fast car (I want a ticket to anywhere)

Toni Topaz has seen a lot of weird stuff during her eighteen years of life, five of them working at her grandfather’s 24h convenience store. Like a whole freaking lot. So when a ‘too skinny to be deemed healthy’ redhead does nothing but limp through the doors of the place at four in the morning, she hardly bats an eyelash. Well, she’s seen a lot.

“Welcome to Tom’s Market.” Toni monotonously greets and barely glances at the girl walking towards her, focusing on her English assignment instead.

“May I use your bathroom?” Is the first thing the stranger asks, her voice holds no malice and how she stumbles to walk to the counter makes her look as a beaten puppy.

The way she speaks makes Toni look at her from behind the counter. Not the kind of girl who would try and get her attention so someone else can come and rob the store, the cashier ponders. It happens. A lot. Probably the kind of girl who’d just had a bad break up and walks around the streets feeling sorry for herself. It also happens.

“You have to buy something to be able to use the facilities.” Toni informs, once again monotonously, because those are the store rules and she’s sure everyone in the world knows that’s how things work.

“Right.” The redhead mutters under her breath, her right hand clinging to her left side, as if something was hurting, and the other one closed in fists as she sighs and turns around, walking - limping - away.

_Don’t do it, Toni. Don’t do it, Toni._

“Wait.” She does it. And the stranger stops right on her tracks, slowly turning back around to look at the cashier, that now realizes there’s nothing else to be said. “You’re bleeding on my floor.” She says and the way the girl gives her a slight eye-roll almost makes her blood boil. Almost. Because she couldn’t possibly beat someone who’s already hurt. That’s just not who she is.

“I was just leaving. In case you haven’t noticed.”

Toni takes a deep breath. Broken hearted girls are usually easy to deal with. She’d give them hot cocoa, or a Pepsi, or whatever, ask them their names, patiently wait for them to tell the entire love story that lead to a tragic ending and say something to cheer them up, make them feel better about themselves. And if sometimes she’s able to score one night stands in the back room. Well, it happens.

Apparently, the one standing in front of her, bleeding on her floor, isn’t one of those. Broken hearted, definitely. Hurt, for sure. But easy to deal with, not at all. She’s got an attitude, and that isenough to get on Toni’s nerves.

However, the girl is bleeding on her floor, as previously mentioned, and it might not be a good idea to deny her a quick visit to the bathroom. So Toni grabs the keys from the first drawer and offers her.

“The second door of the hallway on the back, right next to the fridges.” She informs, for what the girl gives a curt nod, grabbing the keys from her hand.

“Thanks.” The cashier thinks she hears as the stranger passes her by.

Five minutes pass. Not that Toni was counting. She was. And the injured teenager walks back to the counter, she’s got her attitude back, or at least some of it.

“You’re out of soap.” Toni rolls her eyes at the demanding tone she uses. So much for a kindness act.

“Not my problem.” The pink haired girl decides to say with a shrug instead.

“It’s your store’s bathroom.”

“Not my store either, Red.” And as she says those words, realization comes to Toni. “I’m Toni Topaz. What’s your name?”

A flash of doubt passes the girl’s eyes before she crosses her arms around her chest, flinching slightly. “Elizabeth Andrews.”

“Nah. You don’t strike me as an Elizabeth.”

Toni stares at her with an eyebrow raised in defiance. There’s no way to know whether the stranger in front of her is called Elizabeth or not, but she hesitated before answering so it was most likely not her real name. Why is she not disclosing her real name to a cashier that will never see her again is the real question.

‘Elizabeth’ just shrugs. “You’re young.” She says, instead. Almost accusingly, by the tone of her voice.

“You don’t look old either, Beth.” Toni retorts,making sure the nickname sounds as ironic as possible. 

“How come you work in this place at this time of the night?” The question catches the cashier by surprise. No one usually cares about that and even if they do, Toni’s never thought too much into that fact. All she knows is that she works in the store ever since she was thirteen and by the age of fifteen she was allowed to work on Friday night shifts.

“Is there a reason for that question?”

‘Elizabeth’ shrugs once again, deciding to look around the store instead. Toni takes that as an opportunity to take a better look at her. The bleeding has stopped - she’s probably done something to fix that in the bathroom -, she’s wearing a white dress - like those rich people wear for fancy picnics in spring -, and the dress is not in its best condition either - dirty with blood, dust and something else... ashes? -. Toni wonders if this is one of those crazy girls that burns their boyfriend or girlfriend’s car down when they break up or something like that. Or even burns the heartbreaker instead of its belongings.

“Where are we?” The ‘crazy partner burner/ name liar’ asks all of a sudden, making Toni question the story she’s created in her head about the girl. How come she walks inside a store, beat up and defeated, after a break up and doesn’t even know where she is? None of the other girls have ever done that. And Toni’s seen a lot of those. Maybe it wasn’t a bad break up after all.

“Gaylord.” Toni answers, wanting nothing but to be the one making the real questions. ‘Why are you hurt?’ ‘How come you don’t know where you are?’ ‘What is even your real name?’ However, none of those come out of her mouth, because the girl speaks again.

“How far from Riverdale are we?”

Toni raises an eyebrow and fights the urge to reach for her phone and research where the hell this Riverdale place is. She only shakes her head and says “Probably far enough.” - considering the fact she’s never heard of it - and sees the redhead exhale a breath in relief. “Why do you wanna know?”

“Isn’t this store too much for you to handle by yourself?” 

The sudden change of subject catches the worker by surprise, and the question is even more surprising. The convenience store was so small she is able to see it from front to back with hardly having to move her head. And the fact she’s been working there for such a long time makes the question even more offensive, if the tone used to make it wasn’t enough.

Toni is about to open her mouth to give an appropriate answer to the stranger whose name is definitely not Elizabeth Andrews when the said girl closes her eyes an inhales a sharp breath, gritting her teeth and placing one hand on the counter as the other clutches on her left side. The words lose themselves as she reaches forward with an unexplainable and unexpected amount of concern and places a hand on top of the one on the counter. 

“Are you okay?” She asks. Stupid question, she muses when ‘Elizabeth’ opens her eyes to look at her with a glare.

“You didn’t answer my question.” The wounded girl states instead of answering the obvious one directed at her.

“You didn’t answer any of mine.”Toni retorts and resists the urge to smack ‘Beth’ on the face when she rolls her eyes with all the energy left in her body.

“There is. Cause I don’t want to go back. No.” The redhead mutters, making the pink haired girl grin for having the answers, only for the smile to fade at the obvious answer for the last one. “Now answer mine.”

“You forgot to answer one question, sweetie.” With a look of defiance on her face, Toni crosses her arms and stares at her, sensing her own victory.

“I did not.” The other teenager answers, indignant.

“You did so.” Toni almost sings with a smile on her face. “Your name, Elizabeth.” She reminds, watching as the girl closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “What’s your real name?”

“Cheryl.” The answer leaves Cheryl's mouth as a shiver and wave of pain hit her body. “Blossom.” She nearly spits the last name before the weakness becomes too much and everything fades. 

~

“You slept for two hours.” Is the first thing Cheryl hears. She feels something soft under her body and sighs as she relishes on the feeling of laying on a mattress for the first time in two days. She opens her eyes and meets dark brown orbs watching her with concern.

“Is that your bedroom?” The redhead asks, not really taking a look around the room to notice the only thing that could make that place a bedroom is the mattress she is currently laying on. Her eyes focusing solely on the face of the girl staring at her. Nice hair, she muses for the first time after she’s seen the cashier. Pink is a nice color. 

“The store’s back room.” Toni, Toni Topaz, answers. Softly and gently, as if Cheryl is about to break. “You gave me quite a scare.”

Before she can stop herself, Cheryl whispers “I’m sorry.”

“No worries.” Toni smiles and Cheryl finds herself doing the same, although, from the state she currently is, her smile looks probably like a grimace. “It’s not like you were too heavy to carry here.”

“You still haven’t answered my question.” 

“Is that really important now?” Concerned, Toni places a hand on the girl’s forehead. No fever, good. No bleeding anymore either, even better. Cheryl looks weak. Beat up, definitely. But weak, most of all.

The warm hand on her forehead brings tears to Cheryl’s eyes, for some reason. She figures it’s because it reminds her of the care her parents barely showed her growing up, or the way Veronica had done it a couple nights before. After SweetWater River. Before Thornhill. But it doesn’t really matter to her anymore, because her father is dead, her mother won’t look for her and Veronica will soon become a long forgotten classmate. Just like all the students in Riverdale High.

“Cheryl?” Toni’s voice pulls her out of her trail of thoughts and the Blossom tries to wipe her tears, only to realize her body is now relaxed and the effort to raise her arm is almost painful. She lowers it with a whine. “Hey. It’s okay.” Topaz speaks again and does what Cheryl tried to do. “Would you like some water?”

Cheryl can’t really tell when was the last time she’s drank water. It’s probably been more than twelve hours, between one truck and another. She found a bottle in the back of it, just as well hidden as she was before being caught. She flinches as she remembers the events that followed after being discovered.

Toni promptly stands up and grabs a bottle from one of the shelves full of supplies, bringing it back to the other girl. She gently helps Cheryl up to lean her upper body on the wall before handing her the bottle. Questions shoot inside her mind at the sight of the redhead’s trembling hands as she drinks the water as if the world is about to end if she doesn’t finish the bottle in the next ten seconds.

“Easy.” The pink haired girl soothes when Cheryl nearly chokes, holding the now empty water bottle.

“Thank you.”

“Is there anything else you need?”

‘Food!’ Cheryl wants to scream, but that stranger was kind enough to let her rest on a mattress, use a proper bathroom when she had no money to purchase a single ten cents candy and, on top of all, give her water for free. So the weak teen pushes her hunger aside and shakes her head while making an effort to stand up from the mattress.

“That would be all.” She says with all the strength she can muster up. “Thank you for your generosity.”

Toni stops her from standing up, placing an arm on both her legs and gently pushing her body down. “Where are you going?”

“You’ve been kind enough.” Cheryl answers, but makes no effort to fight the hand laying her down on the mattress again.

From the way things looked before she passed out, she’s not about to get what she needs in that store, in that town, but can’t really bring herself to stand up and walk to the nearest gas station to find a truck to hide inside once more. Not when she’s not being forced to leave.

Toni shakes her head and offers the girl a smile. She knows Cheryl is barely able to keep herself up at the moment, and the questions in her mind were not answered yet, therefore, there is no way to know if it’s safe to let her go. God knows what can happen to her if she does. It’s already six, and it’s not dark outside anymore, it doesn’t change the condition the girl finds herself in, though.

“Just stay.” The worker says. “My shift will be over in a couple hours.” Cheryl nods, half ashamed of agreeing to stay so easily, half relieved for not having to leave just yet. “You can sleep till my coworker arrives, okay?”

“‘Kay.” Toni fights the urge to brush her thumb against the redhead’s cheeks at the weak sound of that answer. ‘What happened to you?’ She wants to ask, but stops herself, knowing she’ll have time to do that later.

“Sleep well, Cheryl.” She offers, instead, and stands up, walking away while watching the girl close her eyes and hoping Sweet Pea arrives sooner than usual.

~

Sweet Pea arrives exactly twenty-three minutes late. Toni nearly throws the apron at him when he walks through the door.

“Got somewhere to be, Topaz?” He laughs as she ignores his question and flips him off, walking - running, actually - to the back room.

She finds Cheryl still sleeping, curled up on the mattress and trembling like a scared kitten. ‘What happened to this girl?’ The question screams in her mind for the tenth time since she’s met the redhead.

“Cheryl?”

The girl’s eyes snap open despite the gentle tone of Toni’s voice, and she backs away almost instantly. “Please...” The word leaves Cheryl’s mouth before she can look around and realize she’s not in danger. Not anymore.

“Hey,” Toni throws her arms up, quickly, trying to convey she has no intentions of harming her. “You’re good.” She reassures, walking closer when she sees the other teen’s body relax a little bit. “Cheryl, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Cheryl nods, but watches Toni intently as the pink haired girl approaches, flinching only slightly when she feels her sitting by the edge of the bed. She can’t help but feel like at some point she will be hurt, though, or that Toni’s there to charge her for the time she spent resting in the store’s back room. And if she has no money to pay, she’s going to have to pay her in other ways, and if she refuses... well, the truck driver hadn’t really taken it that nicely. She has a few bruises and a cut right above her hip to prove that.

“Did you sleep well?” Toni asks, concern written all over her face as she sees the panic in the redhead’s eyes. Nothing but that.

“Yes...” Cheryl finds her voice to reply, although the way it strains still shows how nervous she is.

Once again, Toni finds herself saying “I’m not gonna hurt you.”, in reassurance. And Cheryl nods, but doesn’t move. Not until the cashier asks

“Are you hungry?”

And Cheryl nods, because God, she’s hungry. And she’s trying not to seem eager, but it’s been a couple days since her last proper meal, and Toni looks concerned and not trying to take advantage of her. Then once again, there’s nothing much to be taken advantage of.

“I say we go upstairs, you take a shower and I’ll prepare something for you to eat. How does that sound?”

“Good.” The weakness and hesitancy in Cheryl’s voice break Toni’s heart for some reason, and the pink haired girl wants nothing more than ask the questions screaming in her mind. But she refrains herself, time will come and Cheryl will say something. When she’s ready. If she’s ready.

With all the strength left in her body, Cheryl forces her legs to the side of the mattress and Toni helps her with standing up. Her side hurt, her head feels like it’s going to explode and she’s pretty sure there’s no way she can take five more steps without fainting, but the redhead pushes everything aside and focuses on the girl by her side. She’s shorter than her, her pink hair smells something like vanilla or coconut and she’s pretty strong for her height and weight, considering how she basically carries Cheryl out of the back room and up the stairs.

“That’s my apartment.” The shorter girl explains as soon as she makes Cheryl lean on the wall to grab the keys from her pocket. “My grandpa’s, actually.”

Cheryl hums, unsure of what else to say and unable to say more at the same time. Keeping herself up is proving to be a more difficult task than she thought, even if her weigh falls more on the wall than on her feet.

Toni is about to continue, just to keep the conversation going, when a whimper pulls her out of her task of unlocking the door and she looks at Cheryl, only to see the girl’s eyebrows furrow and her eyes close for a moment. And the fear of having her faint again makes Toni reach forward, her arms circling the redhead’s waist as the weak teen rests her head against her shoulder, another whimper leaving her mouth.

“Gotcha!”

With both her arms still holding Cheryl, and the girl's weight falling on her, Toni stumbles through the living room, thanking heavens she was able to unlock the door a few moments before. She places the redhead on the couch, on a sitting position, and waits. Because there’s nothing much to do other than wait.

“Your grandfather will kill you for letting me in here.” It’s the first thing Cheryl says when she’s able to take a deep breath and look at the teen in front of her. Her voice is strained but Toni can somehow hear a bit of sass behind it. “I’m staining your couch.”

Toni lets out a laugh, those laughs followed by a cute eyesmile that people can’t help but laugh along with it. So Cheryl chuckles, because that’s as far as her state of spirit allows her to do before reminding her of why she was looking at that adorable smile in first place.

“Grandpa will be okay with it.”

“If you say so.” As much as Cheryl wants to retort and say there’s no way someone would be okay with a blood stain, along with dirt and ashes on their couch, she shrugs and decides not to put much thought into it.

“Now… Blossom, right?” The way that Toni says her last name makes Cheryl flinch, probably because it was one of the only times where she hadn’t heard it being said with malice, ulterior motives, or even sarcasm. The girl helping her really seems oblivious to what that last name means, the weight it carries. Its curse. “Cheryl…” The shorter girl corrects, seeing the redhead’s previous reaction. “You think you’re strong enough to shower?”

“I suppose.” Even if she isn’t, a shower is not something Cheryl can afford to deny, not after everything that happened. So she shrugs and tries a brave face on, one that makes it seem like there’s no pain, or weakness.

Toni somehow sees through it. “How about I help you to the bathroom, and with everything you need there, and then I’ll leave you to it?” She offers. “Sounds good?”

Cheryl nods, because, just like the shower, help is not something she can deny, no matter how hurt her pride may be. It hurts and Toni can help, and it’s not like she’s gonna see the girl ever again when she leaves wherever town she finds herself in.

“Gaylord…?” She tries to make sure while Toni helps her out with unzipping her dress after they arrived in the bathroom. The pink haired girl keeps her eyes closed at all times, which makes the task a bit more difficult than it should be, but she’s trying to be respectful and Cheryl appreciates that.

“Yep. That’s where we are.” Toni states, trying to keep the bitterness out of her tone. She finishes helping Cheryl with her dress and shoes and turns around to give her some privacy. “Home of the broke, delinquents and close minded people with no perspective for their future.”

“You don’t seem close minded.” The redhead offers as she leans against the bathroom walls to get to the shower, relishing the feeling of the water against her skin with a sigh.

“You’re right. I’m just broke.” With an audible laugh at her own comment, Toni steps out of the bathroom to go pick up some clothes for the girl in the shower. A t-shirt and a pair of shorts will have to do.

When she comes back, she sees from the reflexion in the mirror that Cheryl is still leaning against the wall, but her expression doesn’t look as pained as it was before. It almost looks peaceful. And that’s all Toni can access before closing her eyes again and entering the bathroom, feeling the heat of the room and almost coughing with the amount of fog.

“Isn’t it too hot?” She asks, placing the clothing items on top of the counter, focusing on folding the t-shirt instead of looking at the redhead. So she misses the way Cheryl shakes her head and only listens to the soft reply.

“Too hot is not hot enough for me.” As soft as it’s spoken, Toni can't help but notice something isn't right with that statement, but before she can ask about it, Cheryl speaks again. “You have a job, you can’t be as broke as you made it sound like.”

“I pay my bills, I eat, I pay for my car insurance and I help my grandpa.” Toni shrugs, wiping the fog on the mirror just to look at the redhead’s face through it. Her face. Her beautiful face. “But it’s not enough…”

“Not enough?”

“To leave this town…These people…Everything behind…”

And a crazy idea goes through Cheryl’s mind after the other teen’s statement. But she doesn’t say anything about it. It’s crazy and it’s not like she has a further plan, anyways. So she just nods in understanding and turns off the shower. Toni passes her the towel in silence, waiting for her at the door, and it seems like she’s gained energy from the shower, enough for her to get herself dressed without help and step out of the bathroom on her own, at least.

“Feeling better?” The comforting smile makes Cheryl smile as she nods, only letting the pink haired teen hold her for the sake of being held, unsure of when was the last time someone did that with no other intentions.

Archie didn’t have any other intentions when he carried her out of SweetWater River that fateful evening, Veronica didn’t have any either when she handed her a mug of hot chocolate and let her stay in front of the fireplace for as long as she needed. It doesn’t change the fact that they left her alone soon after that and Cheryl was unable to feel grateful for them. 

If it were for them to leave her alone, why did they go through the trouble of getting her out of the freezing water in first place? 

She can’t help but think that she wouldn’t be in the situation she’s in now if no one had saved her. And JayJay reaching out for her underwater with a bullet on his forehead was scary, but she can handle scary. Living with Clifford and Penelope Blossom treating her the way they always did made her able to.

“Cheryl?” A soft angelic voice pulls the Blossom heir out of her thoughts, and she meets worried eyes, staring at her with concern. Cheryl feels a gentle thumb brush her cheek, wiping away the tears she had no idea she was shedding. “What can I do for you? How can I help?”

“Just…” Cheryl shakes her head, stopping herself from speaking what’s on her mind. Asking for a complete stranger to keep holding her is out of question, no matter how damaged and weak she is. No matter how beautiful the stranger is, either. _Deviant._ The redhead hears her mother’s voice and goes against any of the thoughts of pride she’s had when she moves even closer to Toni, whose arm circle further around her waist. “I'm not sure.” She confesses, because other than being held, there’s probably nothing else that can be done that would make her feel better. And even though Toni holding her doesn’t really make her feel better, at least she's miserable, but not alone.

“For how long have you been traveling?” Toni starts with the safe question as she guides Cheryl to the kitchen table and sits her in one of the chairs. She swears she hears a whine when she lets go of the girl, but decides not to comment on that matter when she sees red hair blocking Cheryl’s face from her view, as if she was embarrassed. “I'll just make you something to eat, okay?”

“Three nights and two days…” The redhead answers when Toni walks towards the cabinet to get the food.

Toni hums as she examines the shelves in front of her, looking for something quick to prepare and that would help Cheryl get more of her energy back. She decides for toast with hazelnut cream, putting the breads in the toaster before walking back to the table and sitting on the other chair.

“And where exactly do you intend to get?” The pink haired teen asks softly, reaching for Cheryl’s hand on the table. She doesn’t even look surprised when the redhead shrugs.

And Cheryl shrugs because she doesn't have a plan. She had a plan before, but Archie Andrews and Veronica Lodge, along with the ponytail queen and that hobo, destroyed it. After that, her thoughts were cloudy and mixed up, she can’t even remember when she decided to run away in first place. Was it in front of the Lodge’s fireplace? Was it while she got the gasoline? Was it when she dropped the candle holder on her mother’s Swedish rug? Or was it when she felt her mother smacking her on the back as they both watched Thornhill go down in flames?

A squeeze on her hand makes Cheryl look at the girl in front of her, meeting a warm gentle smile that tried to mask the concerned eyes. How come a stranger that she’s barely spoken to can show her so much care when she was neglected that same thing her entire life? It didn’t make sense. The world can’t possibly have someone so kind.

“I lost you for a moment.” Toni comments, a smile still gracing her face. “You don’t have a place you’re trying to get to?” She asks the obvious question, just so she can hear a confirmation.

“I don’t.” Cheryl says. “I just needed to get away. Go somewhere I can just settle down and live my life.” She continues as Toni encouragingly squeezing her hand before standing up to grab the food that was ready. “I had a plan. Not for the long run, I didn’t. I still don’t. But when I left the bathroom a few hours ago, I could see how young you were, and the fact that you were working there at four in the morning caused me to think that maybe I could get a job there too.”

“A job?” Toni’s eyes shoot open in surprise as she yelps from how hot the toast she just took out of the toaster is and throws it on a plate, doing the same with the other ones.

“Yes!” Cheryl simply states, looking at Toni as the teen brings two plates of toasts in her hand and hazelnut cream in the other.

“And live here?” The pink haired girl tries not to let the shock so transparent in her voice, but in her mind there’s no one in the world who would willingly run away and settle down in Gaylord.

“That would be a consequence of it, yes.” Cheryl confirms, and before she can say she has no intentions of doing that anymore, Toni interrupts her. So she decides to take a few bites from her toast instead, suppressing a groan at how delicious it was - or she's just hungry, that’s a possibility-.

“You don’t really want to live here, Cheryl.” It’s not like she doesn’t really want Cheryl to live there, she just wants some place better for the redhead. It’s not fair for someone who’s traveled for three nights and two days, that being her third, to stay in a town like that. Cheryl deserves better. Anyone does, really. “This place is just…”

“A small town where people have nothing to do but to take care of other people’s lives?” Cheryl takes another bite of her toast and points it to Toni, speaking with her mouth half full in a way Penelope Blossom would leave her without her meals for at least two days. “Been there, done that.”

“You'd be the outsider, that wouldn’t be the best experience.” Toni argues, her own breakfast forgotten for a moment so she can shake the idea out of Cheryl’s head.

“Don't worry, Toni Topaz.” Finishing her first toast, Cheryl grabs the next one, rolling her eyes and smiling innocently at the other teen. "I realized there’s no way that could be arranged, so you should stare as much as you want, maybe take a picture, because after today, you won’t be able to see my pretty face around here anymore.” And with a hair flip, she focuses her attention back to her food. She hasn’t eaten for a while, of course it’s all about the food now.

“Wow! All that sass coming at this time of the day?” Toni chuckles in surprise with an eyebrow raised. “I guess food really does change people, doesn’t it?”

“I wasn’t called Cheryl Bombshell for no reason.” Another hair flip and a wink cause Toni to laugh out loud and Cheryl to smile fondly at that sound “And I have a soft spot for hazelnut.”

“Bombshell, huh? Figures.”

There’s a moment of silence after that comment. Both girls still smiling, but Cheryl seems in deep thought whereas Toni’s just amused.

“Who are you, Toni?”

“I'm Toni Topaz.” The answer leaves Toni’s mouth in an obvious tone. Cheryl knew who she is, she’s told her her full name before. Well, her nickname and her last name, at least.

“I mean, by the eyes of the people in this town, who are you?”

Toni sighs. The town’s never been really nice to Antoinette Topaz.

“I'm just… Toni. I guess.” The pink haired girl shrugs, not understanding the reason for the sudden question, but decides to elaborate nonetheless. "I try not to dwell too much on what the people around here think about me, but if I did, I don’t think they’d compliment me. Why is that?”

And Cheryl eats in silence for a while. She focuses so much on staring at her food that Toni waits for a magic trick to happen and the toast begin to fly around the room. But nothing happens, Cheryl’s just considering what she’s about to say really well. Pondering if it’s worth saying

“In my town, I was the HBIC.” She says it anyways, and chuckles as she looks up at Toni and sees nothing but confusion on her face.

“And by that, you mean…”

“Head Bitch In Charge, that’s what I mean.” The Blossom takes a deep breath before continuing. There’s probably no turning back now that she’d started, but that thought doesn’t even scare her. Because the next day she’ll leave Gaylord and Toni is a stranger, no one here knows her so no one will be interest in the story of the poor rich girl that walked inside the convenience store looking for a bathroom, finding a shelter instead.

“I come from an extremely wealthy family, a family people wouldn’t mess with. That means, people wouldn’t mess with me. I don’t think they had nice things to say about me either, but they would never really say it. Not to my face.” And now that she’s out of Riverdale, the thought doesn’t even bother her that much. She always knew she wasn’t really liked around there. “There was no one good in that town. No one but my brother, Jason. We were twins.” Cheryl swallows the lump on her throat as she’s about to talk about her dear brother. She holds back the tears and tries to put a brave face on. Once again, when the redhead looks at Toni, she finds the girl watching her intently, breathing every word she’s saying. “He was the best person on Earth, my favorite. He would always stand up for me against…” She shudders. “Let’s just say I wasn’t the golden daughter.”

The girl’s pained face, combined by how she tries to hold the tears shining in her eyes, shows Toni that something wrong must have happened with Jason. That, and the fact that Cheryl uses the past tense when talking about him.

“Where is Jason now?” Toni carefully asks, both their food long forgotten as she once again holds Cheryl’s hands in her own.

“Dead.” And Cheryl can't hold the single tear that falls from her eye when she says that. Her expression, however, becomes unreadable as she utters her next words. “Daddy shot him. Headshot.”

“Cheryl, I’m so sorry.”

“Daddy's dead too. Hung himself after we found out he was the one to do it.” Cheryl continues, detached.

_This girl needs help._ Toni thinks as she squeezes Cheryl’s hand tight, using one of her hands to brush the tears that insisted to fall from the redhead’s face, no matter how hard she tries to conceal them.

“What about your mom?”

Cheryl stops and squints her eyes. Her mind clouded by flames and ashes, and her mother running inside the house after both of them were already safely outside. She remembers the woman smacking her back as the flames engulfed Thornhill. And remember lights. Firefighters. Paramedics.

“I’m not quite sure.” Cheryl whimpers, cursing herself for being unable to recall all the events. "The ambulance took her to the hospital.” She says and Toni is unsure if she’s trying to tell her that or just assure herself that that’s what happened. But that part Cheryl remembers a little. Talking to the paramedics, telling them her mother entered the building to save her life and not a stupid picture. After that, however… "I just… I couldn’t stay. I…”

“Hospital?” Toni stops Cheryl with that question, because the Blossom heir is speaking about her dead twin, a suicidal father and now she talks about hospitals and ambulances. Toni can’t just keep up with all that’s being said.

Cheryl realizes that she left an important part out of that story. Or actually wasn’t able to talk about that part of the story, given how many other things she was talking about before.

“There was a fire.” She explains, watching as Toni widens her eyes in shock. "In Thornhill. Mommy went back inside to save a family portrait.” And Cheryl can’t help but roll her eyes and nearly scoff at that last statement.

“I suppose Thornhill is your house?” The other girl, still trying to keep up with all the information, asks.

“Yes, T.T. Thornhill was my house.” And realization hits Cheryl at that moment. Thornhill is her house. Was her home. And now… because of her… "Now it’s nothing.” She brokenly finishes her thoughts out loud, holding in a sob caused by the guilt that burns inside of her.

“You ran away after the fire?” Cheryl nods and Toni purses her lips in deep thought. “What caused the fire, Cheryl?”

There is a long moment filled with silence after that question, before a sob breaks through Cheryl’s throat and tears start to stream uncontrollably down the girl’s face. And that’s when Toni realizes Cheryl Blossom needs more help than she’d imagined. Because she can sense what’s going to be the answer before the redhead answers it.

“I did.” Cheryl says between hiccups, trying to take a deep breath to control herself, but failing miserably. “I caused the fire. I’m…” _A monster_. Once again, Penelope Blossom’s voice invades the girl’s mind and she brings both her hands quickly to her ears, trying to block her mother’s voice filled with hate, despise and disgust. “Please…”

Toni hears Cheryl whimpering when she brings her own hands to the disturbed girl’s face, to try and get her attention. She knows she needs to help, but has no idea what to do. A stranger just confessed setting fire to her own house, that should scare Toni, but as she looks at the redhead in front of her, she can only feel sympathy. Because Cheryl Blossom is hurting, and she needs professional help, of course she does, but since that can’t be provided yet, a friend is as close to a good help as Toni can be.

So she reaches forward, gently pulling the girl to her arms, her hands previously trying to wipe the tears on the redhead’s face now rest on her back, drawing soothing circles as her face buries into Toni’s neck. And Cheryl cries, and cries, and cries some more. Until she realizes what’s happening. She’s crying on a stranger’s shoulder, after hiding inside trucks for almost three days, after setting her house on fire, after she tried to drown herself in SweetWater River, after her life broke even more into million pieces when she found out her father was the one to shoot the only person who ever cared about her. Then Cheryl laughs, because it’s all so unreal that she can’t even believe it’s happening. So she laughs, and laughs, and laughs some more.

“Cheryl…” Toni calls, gently pulling away from the redhead to take a look at her face. She doesn’t judge the girl for the crying and laughing outburst, even if she has no idea what’s going on inside Cheryl’s head. She can only imagine it can’t be easy, dealing with all the family drama, losing a brother, knowing her father is the guilty one.

“I'm sorry…” Cheryl says as soon as her laughs subside, bringing her hands up to her face to wipe the tears away. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

“You have a lot on your mind.”

“You have no idea.” The redhead sighs, sitting back on her chair and taking a sip of her water. Suddenly, she realizes she's the one baring her soul out to a stranger and not offering her ears in return. So Cheryl forces a cheerful smile and raises her voice a pitch higher. “Enough about me, Toni Topaz. Let’s talk about you and this town you’re not so fond of.”

“Is that the tone you use to show everyone the HBIC you are?” Toni raises her eyebrow in curiosity and a smug grin graces her features when Cheryl rolls her eyes. Like the HBIC Cheryl would, but there’s no way for Toni to know that. She knows nonetheless. She can actually picture herself falling for a high school mean girl, for some reason.

“Hush! I’m not trying to go full on bitch mode with you, T.T!” How did the nickname suddenly appear in first place? And how did Toni even find it acceptable? Maybe it’s just the way Cheryl Blossom says it. “I'm trying to make friendly conversation.”

“Asking about this horrible town…”

‘After having a meltdown’ Toni wants to add, but stops herself from doing so. As amazing as the way Cheryl put her walls back up was, and as an unhealthy coping mechanism as it is, the pink haired girl is not about to call her out on that.

“I did say we should talk about you before mentioning this ‘horrible town’, as you’d like to call it.”

“What is there to talk about me?” Toni asks with a shrug. Comparing her struggles with the ones of the girl in front of her hardly seems fair, to any of them. She doesn't have a dead brother, shot by her own father, or a house in flames, or three days of hitchhiking after running away. But she has her own struggles and she will never disregard them just because someone else has been going through some shit as well.

“Whatever you want, I suppose.” Cheryl mimics the shrug and leans forward a little bit, just enough to reach out and place a hand on top of the one Toni has rested on the table. “I can be a good listener, despite what it looks like.”

“You don’t look like a bad listener.” The pink haired girl finds herself saying before justifying herself. “I just rather not overwhelm you with more shit when you’ve been dealing with a lot right now.”

“You're not gonna overwhelm me, T.T.” The redhead answers, squeezing her hand in assurance. “I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t want to know.” She smiles when a grin spreads on Toni’s face. The most adorable grin. “Besides, it’s not like I’ll be here tomorrow to hold it over your head or anything like that.” Cheryl pushes the deviant thoughts away from her mind, along with her mother’s voice, as she brushes a thumb on the girl’s hand.

Toni closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She can’t believe she’s doing it. But Cheryl is right, it’s not like they’ll see each other after that day, anyways. She can just tell the other teen everything and tomorrow, it will be like it never happened. Like she’s letting go of the weight on her shoulders for a day.

“My mother’s dead.” She starts and smiles sadly as Cheryl takes a sharp breath. “Overdose.”

“I'm so sorry, Toni.” The redhead offers, holding her hand tighter than before, ready to pull Toni closer in a hug at any time.

“Not your fault, Bombshell.”

“What about your father?”

“Never met him.” Toni explains, speaking as if she isn’t slightly bothered by that. “I know who he is. Everyone does. But I never really met him, not that I want to. He’s my mom’s dealer, I was conceived when momma was short on money and wanted the coke anyways. Needed it, or whatever.” Cheryl’s free hand reaches Toni’s shoulder and she starts moving it up and down the girl’s arm, comforting. Toni closes her eyes for a moment and relishes on that touch. “So I live with Grandpa, and he’s the best. He is loving and raises me well. My uncle crashes here sometimes too, when his wife locks him out for being too drunk, or high, or whatever. And he’s not very fond of me… not of what I represent, at least.”

“The daughter of a drug dealer?” Cheryl asks. For a brief moment she realizes she’s also a daughter of a drug dealer, as she recently found out, but decides not to think too much about that. It’s Toni’s moment, after all.

“Nah. My uncle and my father are friends.”

“Let me guess, he’s your uncle’s dealer too.”

“You’re right about that, Bombshell.” Toni smiles as Cheryl does the same when listening to that nickname for the second time. “So, no, my uncle doesn’t dislike me because of who my father is. He dislikes me for who I am. One of the only things I can say about me with pride is that I’m bissexual, and he doesn’t like it that much.”

“You’re bissexual?” The hand on Toni’s arm stops moving and the pink haired girl’s watches as doe brown eyes open wide, although the one holding her hand grips really tightly.

“Is that a problem for you, Cheryl?” Toni prepares herself for the judging looks she sees from almost everyone in the town, and suddenly regrets her moment of weakness and opening up. She should have known the school’s mean girl would be nothing but prejudiced. As she tries to pull her hand away from Cheryl’s grip, the redhead shakes her head and holds it tighter.

“No! Of course not!” _Deviant. Deviant. Deviant. Deviant._ Cheryl is free from Penelope Blossom already, why won’t her voice leave her head? “It's just…” The redhead’s breath hitches, and she feels her chest tightening as she tries to inhale deeply. _Deviant. Deviant. Deviant. Deviant._ “You don’t…” Tears start forming in her eyes, because Toni seems disappointed at her, and she can barely breathe, and the kitchen wasn’t that small before, and Penelope won’t shut up.

“Cheryl?” Toni calls her, worried as she sees how the girl is struggling to breathe. “Hey, Bombshell.” She brings her hand to Cheryl’s face, holding her chin up so the redhead can meet her eyes. “Can you tell me three things you see right now?”

Cheryl lets out a whine. She can’t breathe and suddenly Toni wants to play a weird game that has nothing to do with what they were talking about before. So she ignores that request and tries to control her breathing instead. Failing miserably.

“Cheryl, I swear it helps.” Toni says, brushing her thumb on the girl’s chin to try and calm her down a little. “Three things you see right now, Bombshell. It helps, I swear.”

“P-pink…” Cheryl starts, breath hitching at the attempt to speak.

“Pink. Good!” Toni encourages with a smile. "Pink what, Cher?”

“P-pink hair… B-brown e-eye… brown eyes.” Cheryl stops again, able to take a deep breath this time before continuing. “Star.”

“Star?” Toni chuckles. “I know I’m an amazing singer, Bombshell, but I wouldn’t call myself a star just yet.” Cheryl giggles weakly as she shakes her head, looking a bit less disoriented than before.

“I meant your necklace, T.T.” The redhead explains, reaching out to hold the charm in her hand.

“Pretty, right?” Cheryl nods, her breaths coming back to normal as Toni tries to distract her. “My mom gave it to me when I was ten. I never stopped wearing it, it’s my good luck charm.”

The redhead hums, smiling for a while before shame hits her and she ducks her head down in embarrassment, causing her hair to block her face from Toni’s view.

“I’m sorry for my… strong reaction.” She says in a low voice, hoping Toni understands how apologetic she is. Because she is. Deeply apologetic. Toni Topaz has shown her nothing but kindness and sympathy and nothing Penelope Blossom says can ever erase that fact.

“It’s okay.” Toni assures, still worried the girl is about to have another reaction like the one from some moments ago. “I just didn’t understand…”

“I wasn’t in any way trying to judge you, Toni. I swear.” Cheryl looks up to try and explain, figuring it’s best if she stares at the other girl while doing so. “It’s just…” She stops herself, unable to put her messed up thoughts into words.

“What is it?” Toni is gentle as she encourages Cheryl to speak what’s on her mind. She wants to understand the reason for that strong reaction the redhead had before. Maybe try and help the girl in any way she can.

“You’re not…” The Blossom starts again, but the idea of saying what’s on her mind and offend Toni stops her.

“Straight?” The pink haired girl asks with a mocking smile on her face and one eyebrow raised.

“Deviant.” The redhead says and Toni’s expression just becomes confused. “You're not deviant, T.T.”

“Thank you for reassuring me, Bombshell.” Toni says, smiling at the girl and bringing one of her hands to cup the other teen’s cheek. Still unsure of what’s everything about and why Cheryl even uses such word as deviant. "But that was never something that went through my mind, to be honest. I’m proud of who I am, always have been and always will be.”

“I know… It’s just… Surprising.”

“That I’m not a deviant girl that’s trying to take you to the dark deep side of homosexuality?” Toni mocks with a laugh but almost chokes with air at Cheryl’s honest, blunt and almost triumphant, in some weird way, answer. 

“Yes!” Cheryl almost screams, because that’s what she’s been trying to convey from the beginning. Not using the same words as Toni did, of course. But the general idea of that.

“Uh… should I be offended?” Cheryl looks like she’s just given Toni the correct answers from the SATs, but actually, that confuses the shorter girl even more. "I don’t get it.”

She doesn’t. She’s not sure if Cheryl is trying to compliment her. Or offend her. Or explain to her how the hell does that even have to do with how she reacted to the fact that Toni’s bisexual in first place.

And Cheryl sees confusion in Toni’s face and sighs. She takes a deep breath, reminding herself that the next day, she’ll hop on whatever truck is available, hide inside it and hope to get to a better place than that town Toni hates so much. So basically, she has nothing to lose.

“I like girls.” Cheryl blurts out. “Well, I liked one girl. Mother didn’t approve of it. Said it was…”

“Deviant.” Toni completes the sentence in understanding and Cheryl nods sadly.

“Indeed.” The redhead continues. "She said Heather was… unnatural. And that I was a monster in every other way, but I didn’t like girls, Heather was the one to manipulate me into thinking I did.”

“Your mother sounds like an ass.” Toni comments all of a sudden, heart hurting from what the girl must have gone through in her life just for liking girls.

“She isn’t the most loving and caring person on Earth, that I can say.” Cheryl agrees with an eye roll, trying to show that she’s over it. She’s over Penelope Blossom telling her what to do, who to be, who to love. She’s done with it. She tries to show that it doesn’t hurt her anymore, and that the awful thoughts barely go through her head.

Toni sees right through her act. Of course she does. Because there’s no way Cheryl’s over everything her mother said to her, not when she breaks down over the fact that someone is bisexual and not a monster as it was always portrayed in her mind.

“I’m sorry about that, Cheryl. But you have to know your mother is wrong.”

Cheryl nods, uncertain. “I know…”

“You know you have to know or you know she’s wrong?” Toni asks, smiling kindly at her. Showing no judgement or anger or anything, just sympathy.

“It's hard, Toni.” The redhead says, weakly. “After she found out about Heather…”

Cheryl closes her eyes and exhales, trying to keep herself calm despite the memories that flood her mind. Every bruise, every scream, every night with no dinner locked inside a dark closet that made it hard for her to believe that being who she was and loving who she loved was anything but wrong, sinful and deviant. Then the Blossom heir blamed Heather, as her mother wanted her to do, poor innocent Heather who was, like Cheryl, just figuring everything out. So Heather left, Jason died and Marmaduke Mason and Archie Andrews appeared, only to confuse her further when she felt absolutely nothing as she kissed them, felt nothing for them before that too, but she thought kissing could help. It didn’t.

“It must have been hard.” Toni comments, pulling Cheryl from her thoughts for the hundredth time that day.

“It wasn’t easy…” Cheryl agrees, a somber look on her face and eyes glistening with unshed tears. “But she’s not around anymore.” She suddenly says and her mouth curves in a smile that Toni somehow knows it’s fake, but decides not to comment on it. “And she’s not the topic of conversation. You are, T.T. We are talking about you and your pride, I’m sorry to interrupt you with my own problems.”

“It’s okay, Cher. Don’t worry about it, there was nothing else to be said.” Toni says, dismissively. 

There’s really nothing much to be said, anyways. All she wanted to let out of her shoulders is already engraved in the redhead’s mind. Knowing there will be no judgement, or even need to talk about it the next day, comforts her just as much as it does to Cheryl.

“Nothing else but ‘your uncle is despicable for disliking you for who you like’.” Cheryl adds, a sassy tone and an eye roll that shows exactly who she was in Riverdale. And Toni finds out that she actually likes it.

“And so is your mother.” The pink haired girl adds, a pointed look on her face making Cheryl smile and agree.

“Indeed, T.T. Indeed.”

“Okay, enough with the heavy subjects, Bombshell.” Toni offers and Cheryl eyes her with curiosity, waiting for her to continue “As you said yourself, after today we won’t see each other anymore, so how about we turn it into some lighthearted experience?”

Cheryl claps her hand in excitement. Toni finds herself smiling wide at the girl’s antics. “And what do you suggest?” The redhead asks, a smile just as big also gracing her features.

“Typical teenage hang out, I suppose. Play videogames, eat junk food, sleepover.” When Cheryl is about to open her mouth to protest, Toni shakes her head. “Yeah! Sleepover. You barely slept tonight and my queen bed is more comfortable than the back room mattress, so you’re going to allow yourself to rest before you return to your journey.”

“The back room mattress was comfortable enough.” Cheryl says with a coy smile, but thanking heavens Toni is allowing her to rest for one more day before going back to hiding inside trucks, going somewhere she didn’t even know.

“You just told me you’re rich. There’s no way you find an old mattress comfortable enough.” Toni laughs and goes to the fridge, opening it and handing Cheryl a bowl of fruit salad. “Eat! You look better, but you need more energy after our conversation.”

“Excuse you.” The redhead exaggeratedly flips her hair. “I don’t look better now, I just always look amazing.”

“Right, the store's bathroom doesn’t have a mirror.” Cheryl squints her eyes in fake anger as Toni laughs once again.

“The audacity…”

“Sorry, Bombshell. You didn’t really look your best before the shower.” Toni continues her teasing. “I know the truth hurts sometimes.” She says and shrugs, signaling there was nothing she can do about that.

“Whatever, Topaz.” The HBIC gives her one of her iconic eye rolls for the thirtieth time that morning, making Toni laugh. "I can’t argue with you when this fruit salad is so good”

“What about we go to the living room and watch a movie?” The pink haired girl suggests. "I make the best homemade movie theater popcorn ever.”

“Sounds like a plan…”

So Cheryl helps herself to the couch she first sat on when she arrived at the apartment, turns the TV on and opens the movie catalog, as Toni starts preparing the popcorn she’s claims she’s so good at making. Surprisingly, Cheryl chooses a horror movie that has Toni raising her eyebrows at her when she arrives with the food and the soda.

“What?” Cheryl asks with a innocent smile. “Lights Out is a must watch, and I wasn’t able to watch it before.”

“Whatever you want, Bombshell.” Toni smiles with a shake of head and gives her the popcorn, her smiling grows wider when the redhead eats one and hums in appreciation. “Told you it was the best.”

“It is!” Cheryl agrees with a smile of her own and pats the seat next to her on the couch. “Now sit down, T.T. The movie is about to start and it might get scary, you better not leave my side.”

“You were the one to choose the movie!” Toni protests, but sits where the other teen asked her to sit, despite the space the couch offered. Both girls, comfortably sitting side by side.

At some point during the movie - that has Toni nearly biting her nails in fear and Cheryl gasping from jumpscares a few times -, Cheryl clutches her left side, leaning to her right, where Toni sits. She rests her head on the pink haired girl’s shoulder and takes a deep breath. Toni places her hand on the redhead’s thigh, unconsciously drawing circles on it with her thumb.

“Does it hurt?” She asks when she hears a sharp intake of breath and a soft whimper.

“A bit, yes.” Cheryl answers, trying not to sound as pained as she was.

“Want some painkillers?” The hurt teen shakes her head.

“Painkillers make me sleepy.” She explains. “I want to finish the movie first.”

“Of course, Bombshell. Whatever you want.” Without thinking too much into it, Toni places a gentle kiss at the top of Cheryl’s head, making the girl hum softly.

When the movie ends, they decide to watch some light cartoons to distract themselves from how scared they are. Toni leaves the comfortable position they are sitting in, removing Cheryl’s head from her shoulder in the process, and walks toward the kitchen cabinet to grab some painkillers and give them to Cheryl.

Cheryl was right. After less than half an hour into the cartoon movie they were watching, Toni finds herself supporting the weight of a heavily sleeping redhead on her shoulders. So she shifts her position, circling the girl’s waist with her arm, careful not to hold where it hurts, and bringing her body closer, so Cheryl could be more comfortable as she sleeps.

“T.T…” A whisper leaves Cheryl’s mouth as she adjusts herself into a better position, resting even closer to Toni than she was before. “Is this okay?” She asks, voice filled with sleep. She doesn’t want to make Toni uncomfortable, or hurt her in any way.

“It's fine, Cher.” Toni answers. “You can go back to sleep, Bombshell.”

And she does. Cheryl sleeps for nearly three hours. Toni watches a few episodes of Modern Family to keep herself occupied in the meantime, never once thinking about waking the redhead up, no matter how much she needs to use the bathroom. Thankfully, Cheryl wakes up and yawns, hiding her face on the other girl’s neck.

“Morning, Sleeping Beauty.” Toni calls, brushing her hand on those beautiful red locks.

“Is it still morning?” Cheryl asks, her adorable voice making Toni hold herself not to hug her tighter.

“Nah.” She dismisses, instead. “Afternoon already.” When the redhead nods in understanding, she asks. “Are you still in pain?”

“Way better now.” Cheryl assures with a sweet smile that melts Toni’s heart.

“Good. I’ll give you some painkillers later so you can keep them, okay?”

“Thank you, Toni.” The sleepy girl mutters, with no intentions of leaving the position she’s so comfortably in.

“You’re welcome, Bombshell.”

The girls spend the day on the couch, eating left over pizza, talking about their favorite books, movies, TV shows and about themselves. The good aspects of their lives, at least. Cheryl talks about Jason, and how he would always stand still for her as she drew him for hours and hours, reveling, with that information, about her talent for arts. Toni talks about her mother, and how they used to bake the best cupcakes in town, making Cheryl’s mouth water and causing her to beg Toni to bake some for her. Of course Toni does it, but with the promise that, while she bakes, Cheryl has to draw something for her.

The cupcake, as Cheryl compliments, is the best she’s ever eaten, and Toni is enchanted by the redhead’s drawing. A wolf so nicely drawn that could probably be transformed into a tattoo. Toni’s favorite animal, that’s what caused Cheryl to draw it. And as they talk, laugh and forget about a few of their tragedies, night comes.

The first thing Toni does when they arrive in the bedroom is to walk to her closet and grab a backpack. Cheryl sits on the bed - the way-more-comfortable-than-the-back-room-mattress queen bed - and watches with curiosity as Toni packs the backpack with a couple t-shirts, a pair of leggings, a coat and a few hygiene items. She also runs to the kitchen and comes back with some granola bars, the painkillers from before and three bottles of water.

“For your journey.” She explains, and Cheryl heart fills with affection at the care Toni shows her. “It's not much but…”

“It's great, T.T.” The redhead finds herself saying, despite the lump in her throat at how thoughtful someone she’d just met that day could be. “Thank you!”

“It's nothing… really.” Toni says, turning around to hide the blush in her cheeks at the other girl’s appreciating her actions. Half of her wants to ask Cheryl to stay, if she’s being honest. It was nice talking to her during the day and she feels like she wants to be around her more, something deeper tugging in her heart, way too much affection, probably. But at the same time, she knows that town has nothing to offer for a runaway teen. Nothing but mean snarks and stupid remarks. So she’s doing her best to help the best way she can, that being, giving Cheryl some supplies so she can keep traveling.

Cheryl smiles and lays herself on the bed, sighing at how comfortable it was. Toni chuckles and makes her way towards the bed too, stopping right by it’s side.

“You're not coming?” Cheryl asks with a pout, the idea of not having Toni by her side on the bed making her more upset than she should be.

“I'm gonna take a shower first.” The pink haired girl answers, finding that pout the most adorable sight ever. “But if you’re not comfortable with sleeping on the same bed…” She starts, remembering the incident when Toni disclosed about her sexuality.

“No! I’m comfortable, T.T. I promise!” Cheryl assures, cursing herself for sounding so eager and desperate for the girl to stay.

“Okay, then, Bombshell. I’ll take a shower. You don’t need to wait for me awake.”

But Cheryl does. When Toni finishes her shower, she comes back to the room only to find a completely awake Cheryl, her doe eyes wide opened and staring back at her. Toni chuckles at the sight, but walks towards the bed nonetheless. Cheryl moves a bit more to the side, giving her space to tuck herself under the covers as well.

Both teens lay still for a while. Facing the ceiling in a comfortable silence. Cheryl breaks it.

“Thank you, Toni.” She says softly, still looking up, unaware of the smile Toni offers her.

“It's all good, Bombshell.” Toni answers. “I really enjoyed spending some time with you.”

“Me too.” The redhead confesses. Toni reaches for her hand under the covers and lace their fingers together, the room, once again, falling in silence.

“Toni?” Cheryl whispers after a few minutes of them lost in their own thoughts.

“Yes, Cher?”

Cheryl moves on the bed, so that she’s staring at Toni and not at the ceiling anymore. Toni does the same, smiling as she meets the redhead’s eyes. With her free hand, she tucks a loose lock of red hair behind the girl’s ear. Cheryl moves closer after taking a deep breath and Toni mimics her action until their noses are brushing against each other’s and their foreheads are pressed together.

“I'm not…” Cheryl swallows, looking down at the pink haired girl’s lips for a second before continuing in a weak unsure voice. “Deviant. Am I?”

“You're not deviant, Cheryl.” Toni assures, holding the other teen’s hand tighter and bringing her face impossibly closer to hers, to a point where there’s barely any space left between both girls' lips. “You’re… sensational.”

And Cheryl closes the gap between their mouths with a soft kiss, uncertain yet gentle. She pulls away and sees Toni looking at her with an affectionate smile. A giggle leaves the shorter girl’s mouth but, when Cheryl’s about to ask why, Toni initiates another kiss.

Their lips meet and Toni cups Cheryl’s cheek with care, causing the redhead to melt into her hands, opening her mouth so they could both let their tongues explore each other as they moved. Cheryl half exhales, half sighs audibly, when Toni’s hand, previously on her cheek, finds its way to her waist, carefully pulling their bodies closer.

Cheryl feels more comfortable while Toni feels bolder with every passing moment, leaving all her insecurities and worries behind as she gives in to the feeling rising in her stomach when the pink haired girl moves her hand gently through her body, causing the throb she feels between her legs. She whimpers as Toni brings one hand to her backside and lowers her face to place kisses on the redhead’s jawline and neck.

Toni smiles at the girl’s whimpers and sighs, carefully brushing her lips though her neck. She grins when Cheryl uses her free hand to hold onto her body when she tentatively runs her hand up the redhead’s body, under the fabric of the shirt she was wearing. Another whimper leaves Cheryl’s mouth as Toni brushes a thumb on her right nipple.

“T.T…” Cheryl calls, needly, in a whine.

“It’s okay…” Toni coos, confounding the taller girl’s reaction for a negative response. “I'm sor-“

Toni doesn't even finish the sentence, or even removes her hand from its previous position, before Cheryl once again brings her mouth to hers and her hand to the top of where hers is, but above the t-shirt fabric. That sudden movement makes Toni grab on the redhead’s breast, causing the girl in question to let an audible high pitched moan. The pink haired girl smiles at how sensitive the other one is, how every touch causes a reaction on her. And on Toni as well, considering the heat she feels between her legs.

In a sudden moment of boldness, Cheryl pushes her body up, so now, instead of facing each other side by side, the redhead finds herself on top of Toni, with the girl’s legs between hers. She gasps in surprise as her center meets Toni’s thighs when she moves to find a comfortable position to kiss her. Cheryl blushes and hides her face in the other girl’s neck, hearing and feeling a giggle escape from Toni’s mouth.

“You okay?” Toni asks, and shudders with the breath Cheryl exhales on her neck, bringing her hands to the redhead’s waist, under her shirt, to hold her in place.

“Never done this before…” Cheryl confesses, embarrassed, her face still hiding from Toni’s sight. And the other girl is about to tell her they can stop, when she speaks again. “Feels really good.”

Toni smiles and brushes her thumbs against the girl’s skin, tugging on it so Cheryl’s center once again meets her thigh. The sudden feeling causes another whimper to leave the redhead’s mouth, as a sigh leaves Toni’s. Unrealized by Cheryl up until that moment, the other’s center was also in contact with her body, making the movement pleasurable for both of them. Toni repeats her actions one more time and Cheryl almost melts with the feeling.

“Keep moving like that, Cher.” Toni instructs in a whisper, and Cheryl can only nod before doing what she’s told.

So Cheryl keeps moving, noticing Toni’s setting her pace as well. The redhead tries her best to suppress her moans while Toni does the complete opposite, moaning audibly at the contact. Something starts to build up in Cheryl’s stomach as she increases her rhythm and she brings one of her hands to Toni’s shoulder, digging her nails there to try and steady herself from how foggy everything is and how she wants to give in to the sensation she’s close to feel.

“Your clothes…” Cheryl has half the mind to speak, embarrassed, not stopping her movements but trying her best to stop whatever feeling is about to hit her.

“We’ll change them later, Bombshell.” Toni says, comforting despite the arousal she feels as well, wanting nothing but to make Cheryl feel as good as she deserves. “Just let yourself go, okay?”

And Cheryl does let herself go as soon as Toni’s words hit her ears. She increases her pace to the point of feeling something is about to explode inside of her, crying out Toni’s name as her orgasm hits her. Toni’s hands move to Cheryl’s back, where she rubs it comfortably until the redhead’s shudders stop and she can feel her breath coming back to normal.

After a moment relishing Toni’s touch with a smile on her face, Cheryl’s hand travels from the girl’s shoulder to her stomach and she moves her own body to the pink haired girl’s side. A long pale hand reaches the waistband of her shorts, Toni grips Cheryl’s wrist.

“Cher…” She calls, gently. “You don’t have to…”

“I want to, T.T.” Cheryl stops her from what she’s about to say, kissing her jawline. Toni shudders in anticipation. “Just…” The girl lowers her voice, insecurity hitting her at the thought that she’s never done that before. “Tell me if you’re not enjoying it.”

Toni smiles and brings Cheryl’s hand to her mouth, kissing her knuckles. “I’m already enjoying it.” She says and lowers the redhead’s hand back to where it was, going so far as guiding it to the inside of her clothes. “You’ll do great.” She encourages, moving her own fingers along with Cheryl’s so they’re where she needs them the most.

Cheryl inhales a sharp breath at how wet Toni already was, making Toni smile and groan as she places the redhead’s finger on her clit, rolling her hips at the contact. Cheryl enjoys the sound she hears, so she circles Toni’s clit with her own trembling fingers this time, causing the girl’s hips to jerk forward and a moan escape her mouth.

As Cheryl gains more confidence, she presses her finger once again into Toni’s bundle of nerves, circling it slowly for a while before noticing Toni meeting her halfway, rolling her hips, hands tightly clinging to the bedsheets, eyes closed and brows furrowed in an expression Cheryl can’t really read. Probably the same expression she had a few minutes before.

“Faster…” Toni begs, in a whimper. And Cheryl obeys. She moves her fingers faster, alternating between circling her clit and pressing her fingers firmly into it. “Cher…” Toni calls out, her hips moving along with the redhead’s fingers. She was so close. Cheryl places a kiss on her mouth, sucking on her lower lip and increasing the pace of her fingers even more until Toni’s hips buckle sloppily and she trembles as the knot on her stomach comes undone.

Toni breathes shakily and Cheryl pulls her hand back from under her panties, blushing hard when Toni looks at her with shiny eyes and a smile on her face, muttering “Holy fuck, Bombshell!” before bringing the redhead’s hand to her mouth and wiping her fingers clean. Cheryl can only nod in agreement and look down, slightly embarrassed.

“Was it good for you?” Toni breaks the silence before she can finally have her breathing back to normal and Cheryl nods. “How do you feel?” She asks again, and Cheryl looks up at her with a smile.

“Sensational.” Cheryl answers, making Toni’s heart explode with fondness at the sight of that smile.

“That’s what you are.” Toni assures and Cheryl giggles. “Now how about we take another shower and go to sleep for real this time, huh?”

“Sounds good!”

Cheryl goes to the shower first while Toni finds her something else to dress, then, as Cheryl gets dressed in the bedroom, Toni takes her shower. She returns to the bedroom and sees the same sight from before, Cheryl watching her intently, waiting for her to lay down under the covers. But, differently from the last time, their bodies meet under the blanket and Cheryl rests her head on Toni’s chest as Toni hugs her waist to bring her closers.

Silence fills the room and the realization of what just happened hits Cheryl. The fact that she won’t be able to see Toni after that night almost rips her heart out of her chest. Unbeknown to her, the same thoughts go through Toni’s mind, making her hold the redhead even tighter.

“Come with me.” Cheryl lets out, trying to shake the pain from her voice and hold back the tears that threaten to fall from her eyes.

“Cheryl…” Toni says, the same pain evident when she calls the girl’s name. “I…”

“You have a car.” The redhead continues. “We can go anywhere. Start from zero.” She says, hopeful that she’ll be able to convince Toni to go with her. “What do we have to lose?” Nothing.

“I can’t leave my family.” Toni counters, tears falling down her face as she hears Cheryl trying to conceal her sobs.

“Your uncle hates you!” Cheryl retorts, and she should feel bad for that, she really should. But she’s trying to make Toni run away with her, and it’s proving itself to be a difficult task so she has to use all the weapons she has.

“My grandfather doesn’t.” And that breaks both the girls’ heart in two million pieces, because Toni is right. She can’t just leave her grandfather alone, no matter how awful the town is, or how hateful her uncle is. Her grandfather raised her and now he needs help, and Toni would never deny him that.

It’s quiet for another moment, both girls sobbing into each others’ embrace at the understanding that it’s not possible for them to be together after that night. Because Toni isn’t going to ask Cheryl to stay, to put her through all the bad things that town has to offer, and Cheryl is not going to convince Toni to leave her grandfather, no matter how much the pink haired girl wants to get away.

“Promise me you’ll take care of yourself, Cheryl.” Toni says after a while and feels Cheryl nod against her chest. “You get to wherever you think you need to get to, then you settle yourself and you ask for help.” She continues, brushing her hand through those red locks one last time. “You've been through a lot, and I’m sure you haven't even told me half of it.” She’s right, Cheryl hadn’t even told her about SweetWater River. "It’s not shameful to talk to a doctor about all of that.”

“I promise, T.T!” Cheryl states, her sobs subsiding for a moment as she spoke. “I'll get settled somewhere nice and take care of myself. And you…” She starts, unable to keep the tears from falling. “I want you to live a very very very happy life. Because you deserve it.”

“I will, Bombshell. I will.” Toni kisses the top of her head as she caresses her hair until both of them fall into a deep slumber.

When Toni wakes up at 7 in the morning, the backpack is gone and her way-more-comfortable-than-the-back-room-mattress queen bed feels empty without the presence of a certain redhead.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Hello Hello  
> So, I honestly forgot I had this story.  
> Then I found it in my computer and decided to repost it because, why not? lol
> 
> Anyways, I hope you liked it :)
> 
> I'm on Twitter as @bckwrds101
> 
> Bye


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